Unemployment. Slower career progression than anticipated. Having an abusive boss or toxic work environment. These career woes can be terrifying. We put so much emphasis on career as a measure of self-worth that dissatisfaction about employment status can have an affect on all areas of our lives. Even worse, these feelings of despondency can make it harder to get motivated to apply for jobs and could impact the way you're perceived in an interview. Employers want to hire excited candidates, not depressed ones. So how do you break this cycle?

Take a deep breath. By refocusing your fear into productivity, you’ll find a new job in no time. Here's how we recommend tackling three of the most anxiety-inducing aspects of the job search:

1. You don’t know what you want to do. Whether you’re newly unemployed or just sick of your current job, you may be wondering what’s next. It’s normal to be anxious when your future is uncertain. But the flip side of anxiety is excitement. Instead of focusing on the paralysis of choice -- too many possible jobs that none seem “perfect” -- aim to learn more about yourself. Make a list of all of your skills and interests, and then brainstorm jobs where you could make use of these skills and interests. Then, write down all the reasons you don’t want each job you've come up with. Maybe you can’t afford the additional schooling that may be required, or your interests only align with half of the responsibilities that the role demands. Eventually, only a few jobs without “cons” will remain on your list, and you'll have narrowed your options into a manageable few. At this point, all you have to do is research the remaining jobs. Look up current and old job postings for similar positions and look for patterns. Set informational interviews with contacts who work in the areas you’re interested in. Vet each role carefully, and when you've assessed which career path(s) sound right for you, conduct a targeted job search that only includes these types of positions.

2. You don’t have the right network. Whether you’ve exhausted your current network or are looking to transition into a new field where you don’t know anyone, you may find the old adage of “it’s not what you know but who you know” overwhelming. But the good news about people is that you can always meet more! We have a few tried and true strategies for building your network -- aside from the (hopefully) obvious tip of attending networking events, you can start to cultivate more meaningful relationships by telling everyone you know what your employment goals are and who you want to meet. By the rules of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, someone has to know someone. You should also focus onbuilding out your LinkedIn profile and contact list. And in a pinch, you can even cold email possible connections and hope to find a kind soul or two who'd be willing to help.

3. Your resume isn’t strong enough. Maybe you’ve been out of the workforce for several months, or you’re looking to transition to a new type of role and don't know how to play up your strengths. Or maybe you just haven’t updated your resume in a while are feeling overwhelmed. Concern about your resume is valid -- you need to present yourself well on paper in order to stand out from the pack. But pat yourself on the back -- you’ve already taken a major step toward creating a great resume simply by subscribing to our newsletter and reading our tips! If you’re still feeling stuck, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Working with someone to craft your resume -- whether it’s a professional service or a trusted friend -- can help you zero in on your skills. An objective outsider will be able to point out what's missing in your current resume and what elements are irrelevant or distracting. He may even recognize talents that you didn't realize you had! Settle on a clear list of skills that you feel confident about, and work to match the verbiage of the job posting to craft a strongresume. It takes time to build a great resume, but time is nothing to be afraid of.

Even if you're still feeling a bit unsettled, remind yourself that you are not defined by your current employment status. Life is too short to beat up on yourself and too long to feel restricted by any one path. Find what works for you now and what will make you happy now, and focus your energy on working toward that goal instead of freaking out and feeling stuck. You have the power to forge a satisfying career track -- the only thing to fear is fear itself.

Do you feel like your boss is constantly breathing down your neck and that everything you do is being scrutinized? Sounds like your boss is a micromanager. Working for a micromanager can be extremely stressful and annoying, but sadly, many bosses share this trait. Here are three things you can try to keep your boss out of your hair:

Provide frequent status updates. If your boss is a micromanager, it’s likely because he’s worried that the work isn’t going to get done correctly or on deadline. If you’re a good employee, he should start to trust you more over time, but that doesn't mean he will leave you alone completely. Get in the habit of providing frequent status updates that let him know what you’re doing with your time (this is especially important if you work from home). If you can stay one step ahead of your boss, you can circumvent his need to pester you at inopportune moments. Some pestering is inevitable though, so be sure you’re always on top of the status of every project and prepared with an answer at the drop of a hat. And try not to get too frustrated by your boss’s questions. Sometimes your boss’s meddling in projects can be beneficial -- it gives him the opportunity to correct mistakes or request changes at an earlier stage, preventing you from having to redo work later on.

Know what information to keep to yourself. Even though your boss seems to want to know EVERYTHING you do on a given day and how you approach projects, sometimes it’s best if he doesn’t know what’s going on behind the scenes. Too much transparency could lead your boss to question your process. Everyone’s work style is different, but micromanagers sometimes have a hard time seeing this -- they think their way is best, and they often focus too much on process over results. So if you reveal too much about your personal process, your boss might try to impose new methods of working that make you less efficient. Avoiding this problem comes down to being resourceful -- you should make it appear like things get done magically with little effort. Whatever it takes to get there can be your little secret. For example, perhaps you like to create charts to track the status of projects, but they’re full of little notes and reminders that might look unsettling to an outsider. Keep that chart to yourself, and share a whittled down version of the information that tells your boss exactly what he wants to know and nothing more. Of course, if you’re running into issues, you should ask your boss for help. Don’t miss a deadline or do work incorrectly because you want to hide a certain aspect of your process.

Make your boss feel important. People become micromanagers because they have a hard time letting go of responsibilities. If your boss is a micromanager, it’s likely that he used to be the go-to person on his team for getting things done, and he prides himself on the quality of his work -- it’s what got him promoted in the first place. But now that he’s managing a team, he has to give up some of his responsibilities and delegate tasks to others, which can be a tough transition. You can help ease this process by making your boss feel included in decision-making. Along with your regular progress updates, give your boss a chance to weigh in on certain decisions, even if you have the authority and confidence to make the decision yourself. A good strategy is to make your own recommendation when you ask for feedback about a decision. For example, if you’ve read a script and think your boss might like to weigh in with notes before sending the writer on to a new draft, email the script to your boss along with your notes. He’s very likely to reiterate most of what you say, but he will feel important because he’s now made a contribution to the project. It’s all about perception here, but if you can make your boss feel like he’s in charge, you’ll be able to do your own work without as much interference.

The more you can get your boss to trust you, the more he will let you work independently, and the workflow will be that much smoother. And when you become a manager, remember all those annoying things your micromanaging boss did to you early in your career, and adopt a different management style!

Hooray! You just got a job offer! Your potential employer has decided that you’re the best fit for the role, and now you get to flip the tables on them and decide if they’re right for you. As we’ve said before, you shouldn’t always take the first offer you’re given -- put some careful thought into your decision. Accepting a new job is a big deal and will define your life for the next few years, so you should choose wisely. Here are three things to consider when evaluating whether an opportunity is a good fit:

The people. Did you get the sense that the people on your future team have fun personalities that align with your own? Can you envision yourself hanging out with them? Were they friendly during the interview rounds, or did one person rub you the wrong way? One of the most important factors that will dictate whether or not you’re happy at work is the team you’re on. So if you didn’t get good vibe from someone or have heard that your potential boss has a reputation for being difficult or abusive, you’d do better to pass on this one and continue looking for other opportunities.

Your lifestyle. Make sure you do a thorough cost/benefit analysis to determine how this career choice will affect the overall scope of your life. Start by asking the following questions: Does the role fit in with the desired lifestyle you’d like to lead (or at least get you closer to it)? Is the salary is enough to maintain or improve your current standard of living? Are the benefits going to cover whatever personal needs you have? How long is the commute? What are the hours, and are they flexible? If one of these elements isn’t working for you, perhaps there is some room to negotiate on salary or flex time to make up for it.

The role. How excited are you about the work that you’re going to be doing? You might have an offer from a prestigious company but in a role that’s below what you’re capable of. In this case, the company name is probably not going to make up for the fact that you will be bored at work. Look for a challenge and a team that supports learning and growth. You may have spent a lot of time thinking about the position and getting yourself hyped up about a potential opportunity, but it’s good to step back and reassess how excited you are about the actual role you’ve been offered.

Ultimately, you’re going to have to trust your gut in making this decision. If something feels off, try to figure out why. Is it something that’s going to hinder your experience at the company? If everything sounds great, go ahead and accept! Regardless of your final decision, this is an exciting time for you -- an offer indicates that you’re one step closer to reaching your goal and finding that perfect position.

We’re often asked if temp agencies are worthwhile as part of the entry-level Hollywood job search. How likely are they to get you where you need to be in your career? The answer isn’t that simple and depends very much on individual circumstances. Let’s look at the pros and cons of using them.

Temp positions can be very helpful for those who are between jobs or are looking for a first job and need immediate income. If you can’t financially afford to commit to the job search full-time, a temp agency could be very helpful for you. Temp positions can also help fill resume gaps while you're between jobs. On the other hand, temp positions don’t offer benefits, so they won’t provide the same level of financial stability as a full-time job would. Plus, they require you to pull focus from your regular job search -- you won’t be able to apply for as many jobs while temping as you would if you could spend full days on your applications, so keep this in mind when making your decision.

Another pro: Temp positions will give you valuable administrative experience that can help when applying for full-time roles. In entry-level entertainment positions, it’s crucial for assistants to have strong phone, scheduling, and other administrative skills, and a temp position could help you build up those skills for your resume. That said, there is often an expectation that temps will have a strong administrative background coming into the job, so be aware of this when applying to the temp agency itself. (And know that a temp agency may redo your resume to help promote the skills you'll need for their available jobs -- but this resume may not work as well as an entertainment-focused resume for assistant jobs. We can help with that.)

Finally, temp positions can get you on the right career track and will sometimes even lead to a permanent role at the company. If you’re looking for a development assistant position and have the opportunity to temp on a development desk, this will look great on yourresume as you apply for jobs down the line. However, there’s no guarantee that you’ll land in the right role -- you could end up on a business affairs desk and have to work your way back into the field that you’re interested in at a later date. In addition, many supervisors hire temps with no intention of transitioning them into full-time staff members, and this can limit learning opportunities. If you’re on a short assignment, you can be assured that this is the case. On a longer assignment, you may have a chance to showcase your skills, but you’ll really have to go above and beyond to secure that full-time position, as a supervisor is unlikely to assign anything more advanced than administrative tasks. The exception to this rule is when a job is listed as temp-to-perm, in which case you may not even need to go through a temp agency. If this type of posting pops up, don’t hesitate to apply!

No matter what, you need to be careful when you apply through a temp agency. Some agencies take cuts of your paycheck or promise only to send entertainment opportunities your way but actually put you up for many other types of jobs -- and because of the nature of the business, your rep may border on pushy in her pitch to you. If you need the cash, or it's a short enough job, go for it. But don't get scared and commit to a longer term assignment that doesn't align with your goals just because it's something. You will find another job if you try hard enough -- don't sell yourself short.